Few people think they will ever need to hire an attorney, but their perspective usually changes after a car accident. Suddenly, they face mounting medical bills and pricey car repairs with no means of paying for them. Even worse, many people are so injured they cannot work, meaning there is no income coming through the door.
At Freeburg Law, LLC, we strongly encourage all car accident victims to reach out to an attorney for help. It is never too late to talk with an expert about your case. In fact, we strongly encourage reaching out as soon as possible following a wreck. Our Wyoming car accident lawyers have a proven track record of obtaining compensation to help defray the cost of any collision.
How a Wyoming Car Accident Lawyer Helps Your Case
You might be tempted to negotiate your own car accident claim. Unfortunately, this rarely works out the way people expect. In particular, many insurance adjusters are salivating at the thought of negotiating with an unrepresented accident victim. They figure they can offer peanuts in compensation and the victim won’t know any better.
If you hire Freeburg Law, we can ensure the following:
- We can file your insurance claims in a timely manner.
- We fully document your claim so you can prove all losses related to the accident.
- We act as a buffer between our clients and insurance adjusters and answer any questions adjusters have.
- We analyze your losses, such as medical bills and lost income, to value how much your claim is really worth.
- We reject any unfair settlement offers as too low and counteroffer for a fair amount.
- We prepare a case for litigation in court should negotiations fall through
Why You Should Contact Us Right Away
Although it’s never too late to call, there are definite advantages to speaking with an attorney soon after an accident. Your lawyer is the only person in the car accident settlement process who has your interests at heart. You can’t expect the other driver or their insurer to worry about what’s best for you.
If hired, we can immediately swing into action:
- We can visit the accident scene, if necessary, to document any hazards which contributed to the crash, like a giant pothole or a missing stop sign.
- We can help you find a doctor if you lack health insurance and can’t immediately afford care.
- We will screen all calls from an insurance adjuster, so you don’t have to answer questions when you don’t feel like it.
- We review any settlement offer and reject it if it is too low.
Perhaps the greatest benefit is gaining peace of mind. With us in your corner, you will know that someone is handling the legal end of your case so you can focus on getting well.
Disadvantages of Waiting to Hire an Attorney
Here’s what will happen if you don’t have a lawyer. Typically, an insurance adjuster will quickly reach out and ask for a recorded statement about the crash. During this interview, the adjuster tries to get you to admit partial fault for the collision, which will reduce their liability. Or they try to minimize your injuries and pain, hoping you will agree.
Wyoming recognizes comparative fault. Under this law, an accident victim can’t sue if they were more responsible for the wreck than all other defendants combined. This means you will receive no compensation—zero—if you were more than 50% to blame. Even if you were less at fault, your compensation gets reduced proportionally. When a motorist is 40% to blame, they will receive 40% less in compensation.
As you can imagine, the comparative fault law gives insurance adjusters an incentive to shift blame for the accident onto you. During an interview, you can expect questions like:
- “You weren’t looking at the road right before the crash, right?”
- “You probably didn’t see the other driver, correct?”
- “You sound like you’re confused about what happened.”
If you agree to these statements, it sounds like you weren’t paying any attention in the lead-up to your crash, so you’re partially to blame. Even if you don’t agree, the adjuster is sowing doubt about your memory.
All of this may sound underhanded. But the law gives insurance adjusters a reason to conduct interviews this way. Without a lawyer, you could easily say something in your interview you didn’t really mean. And those statements can cost you money down the road.
Accident Victims Consistently Undervalue Their Claims
Without an attorney, you might be tempted to immediately accept the first offer made. We understand this temptation. Money is probably tight, and you need help paying your medical bills. Unfortunately, few people really understand how much they can receive in a settlement. In our experience, they consistently undervalue their claim.
In a settlement, you should receive compensation for medical bills, lost income, and damage to your car. But you should also receive money for pain and suffering. Some insurers offer only a few thousand dollars to people suffering painful, disabling injuries.
We advocate for fair and full compensation for all losses—including your pain. Hire an attorney to review any settlement offer before you sign.
Which Car Accident Attorney Should You Hire?
There are many lawyers in Wyoming who could handle your case. But which one is right for you?
We recommend that accident victims and their families do some research ahead of time. It’s okay to ask friends and family for referrals. Maybe they worked with a terrific lawyer on their car accident case, and you can check them out.
Look at each attorney’s website and see if they are active in the field. You’ll want someone who does mostly personal injury law, since they stay on top of new developments. Look to see if they have recent experience with car accident cases.
You should also meet with a lawyer for a case evaluation or consultation. This will give you some idea if you “click” with the attorney or not.
Contact Freeburg Law Today
Our Wyoming car accident lawyers are ready to assist in any way we can. Call or send us a message to schedule a free consultation.